The Effects of MIS Steering Committees on Information Technology Management Sophistication

Despite the ever increasing importance of information technology (IT) in firms, the extent to which IT management practices are applied creatively to critical tasks varies widely across firms. For over a decade, firms have employed IT steering committees to manage their IT resources. However, the impacts of such committees on the IT management function have not been examined in depth. This paper hypothesized relationships between the level of sophistication of IT steering committees and level of IT sophistication of management within firms, and tested those relationships empirically via a field survey of 213 IT managers in the financial services industry. Results of the study suggest that presence and roles of IT steering committees are significantly related to the level and nature of IT management sophistication within firms. Firms interested in achieving the most benefit from their steering committees should carefully select their preferred roles depending on the type and the level of IT management sophistication desired. The article concludes with discussion and implications for IT researchers and firms' executives.